NationStates Jolt Archive


Explanation of CNI/PPC (reference thread/ questions only)

Shenyang
13-02-2005, 02:19
CNI:
The Shenyang Space Fleet uses a system called the Command Neural Interface or CNI to control its major combat vessels. (i.e. flagships and battlecruisers) This system uses the sheer processing power of the human brain to supplement the main computer core and cut crew requirements drastically. This system is admittedly complex, however it is a relatively harmless and efficient way to cut crew requirements on large vessels.
This is a basic overview of how the system works (any further questions will be answered):
The CNI system uses 1 human to control a capital ship. This seemingly outragious system has been achieved through decades of development, with the original idea actually dating to the late 20th century, in the form of Virtual Reality as it was called.
The system revolves around 3 main components:
The human (fleet command)
The main computer core/ship's AI
A complex life support system

The human is "jacked" into the CNI system via a plug thatenters a port in their brain stem and several smaller receptors place on the head. These serve as the primary interface between human and machine. The human is then placed on life support and there brain's impulses are switched away from the now artificially sustained body to the main computer core. The ship in essence becomes the human's physical body. Each mental command that a human automatically produces is assigned to a different primary ship function. For example the impulse telling the heart to beat regulates power out put of the main cores, while the impulses responsible for controlling breathing controls the life support systems. In this way all the extraineous functions that would overload a human brain are automatically taken care of by their minds involuntary functions. This leaves the mind only a few jobs. Such as firing of the main weapons and shield power distribution among others. This dramatically reduces the strain placed on the host mind. To fire the main cannon for example the host must enter the following set of commands via thought:
Weapon: Main Cannon... Range:???... Charge level:???... Fire.
This simplified command scheme gives the ship's AI enough information to operate and follow the command. Each weapon's system has a slightly different set of command prompts so that there is almost no chance that a command is unlikely to be mistaken.

PPC:
Phased Particle Cannons are the primary weapon on the larger combat vessels of the SSF, in particular the Divine Ascencion class flagships. The phased particle cannon works by generating a particle beam and charging it with the ambient energy around the ship (light energy for example) The beam is then fired through several different systems to change te phase of the beam and increase its power. As this happens a "track" along the sides of the ship begins "flaking" excess energy out of the cannon to avoid an overload, creating a rather spectacular display.

http://homeworld.badl.org/hw2/progenitors/ships/dreadnaught/1.jpg
Example of the "track" along the side of the PPC Dreadnaught

http://homeworld.badl.org/hw2/progenitors/ships/dreadnaught/4.jpg
Phased Particle Cannon Dreadnaught charging the cannon for firing

http://homeworld.badl.org/hw2/progenitors/ships/dreadnaught/5.jpg
Phased Particle Cannon being fired

http://well-of-souls.com/homeworld/hws/hw2/images/display.htm?gamespy_09.jpg
PPC being fired with Tactical overlay system from support drone not removed

The beam, upon reaching the end of the weapon fires. It appears to disapate quickly after firing, however it is actually concentration itself down to a single point. The beam itself appears to weaken, however it is still sucking in energy and from around it and is merely a tighter beam upon impact with the target. The target's range is set as the focal point of the beam, this is the reason for the apparent weakening of the beam. The Beam impacts at the single point on the target's hull and burns through, creating a largwer and larger hole as the beam's focal point is moved farther from the ship. The beam begins to change the phase of the molecules around it, creating a wave through the interior of the ship as more and more molecules change phase and diapate into space. This wave destroys all matter it contacts, however its range is limited and thus will merely tear an enormous hole in extremely large capital ships while totally obliterating ships of approximately frigate size. This is not only an extremely destructive effect, but it also has the added effect of often causing ships to loose structural integrity and split around the hole thus destroying the ship under most circumstances, though the ship may survive the break-up it would then more than likely be disabled and unable to fight back, the PPC has a charge time of 5 minutes to fire and 5 minutes to cool before another shot can be charged, as a result when used in large groups it can create a devastation efect on ships much larger than the firing ship.
Shenyang
13-02-2005, 19:08
Bump